I've been using my RV-6 now quite a bit, finding objects and such, and I build a 50mm right angle finder and wanted to mount it on the scope. I have a few problems with this. First, I once used a RA finder by itself and found it very difficult to use without a red dot or similar finder. That's why the straight through on the 6" is great, except I find that my neck is killing me after a few minutes of finding an object. Second, I don't want to kill that antique "feel" to the scope by putting all sorts of modern things on it. I also eventually want to get a helical focuser for it. Third, is there enough space on the tube for 2 finder devices? If so, the Telrad is pretty bulky but very good. Still have to rig up some kind of mounting rings for the finder, and I don't want to dril into that tube. So what do you think? Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

If you don't want to drill holes, I think the finder is out. The telrad is big and bulky and "square". You might do what I did when first starting out. Two small strips of Velcro hidden on the bottom of the tube or maybe on the cradle, and a green laser. Don't shoot your eye out!

Zip ties are another mounting option. They can hold a Telrad base quite firmly if you can find them long enough to fit round the tube. I have used them on a 5 inch diameter tube to hold a telrad base. You can get black ones about 3/8 inch wide at Lowes.

Well te regular telrad mounts with foam tape right? If I ever do want to take it off, how hard is it to remove? Also, I thouhght more about the finder and thought, well there already is a place in the tube where 2 holes have been drilled, so when I make the mounting rings, I could put the holes like right there. I don't want to ruin the classic feel to the scope though

I've used Nylon cargo straps. They don't look too bad if you find a nice color. A leather strap or belt might also look nice. A set of tube rings down by the saddle might also work well and provide a nice attachment point for other things.

I put a right angle 35mm finder on my RV6 way back when. It was 6x and 8 deg field. Fit perfectly in the stock finder bracket. Still need to sight down the scope a little but with such a wide field it was easy. Got a surplus lens from Edmund and used the old Edmund 1 1/8" EP. Think I even glued in some crosshairs.

You have setting circles on that mount. If you haven't learned to use them, you might be surpised at how well they work and you won't need another finder. Many starchart APPS have a nice feature of showing you were Polaris is vs the pole with an image that matches the type of finder on the scope ie inverted or flipped. So this makes polar aligning a breeze. Then all you do is go to a bright star, center it and calibrate your circles to read the RA and DEC of that star. The RA circle on the RV-6 isn't driven so you either have to keep track of the delta time from when you first calibrated your RA circle and add this offset to RA of the next object you want to find or simply adjust the RA circle to read the RA of objective your observing just before you go looking for the next object. Another trick to point the scope at a bright star that is near the object you wantt to observing and make sure the circles read the correct RA and DEC of that star the move the scope to cooridinates of the object you want to observe. With a little practice you'll be finding objects almost a fast as modern scope with motorized GOTO.

If you want to mount a finder, make a bracket that uses the existing holes and provides a place to attach a standard Vixen/Orion/Synta finder dovetail. A piece of aluminum channel is a good place to start but it could be wood too that was shaped to fit.

Wood is a great medium to work with. It would be an excellent choice for matching up to the original offset finder bracket holes.

I highly suggest you put some reinforcement on the inside of the tube if you use the finder holes. Ask your hardware store about metal plumbing strap. You can also bend a regular washer to fit the curve. A fender washer is an excellent choice. I've seen many an RV-6 bakelite tube give way in the finder bracket area. The finder is the easiest thing to bump, hit, stress, or just accidently obliterate. A larger supporting surface on the inside for the bolt is not a small help. It's huge.

Here's a picture of two tubes I have here. Notice the typical cracks on the finder holes. These are typical, without abuse. These cracks are not on the focuser holes or spider vane holes on these tubes. I've seen a lot more besides these.

Attached Files

Look here and Scroll down to #SFTP adapter plate:http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_sfind.htm
This adapter plate is a flat deck you can mount whatever you want to it (like finder rings) and it will install on a Telrad base.
You can then mount the Telrad base on your scope with the double back foam tape and have interchangeable finders.
To remove a Telrad base from your scope you can saw through the double back foam mounting tape with dental floss or heat the base with a hair dryer to soften the bond and pull it off.
I like the Telrad reflex sight it is a very fast finder. Be sure and get or make a dew shield for it.
I must admit that I do not use a Telrad on my classic scopes. That is soon to change though because it is a excellent sight.

Telrads are great planet finders for lazy guys like myself who don't like bending at odd angles or getting on my knees in the grass. Simply look down on the reticle through the window - like a right angle finder. Planets are bright enough to still be visible along with the reticle even though you're using the windo as an unaluminized mirror.

Well te regular telrad mounts with foam tape right? If I ever do want to take it off, how hard is it to remove? Also, I thouhght more about the finder and thought, well there already is a place in the tube where 2 holes have been drilled, so when I make the mounting rings, I could put the holes like right there. I don't want to ruin the classic feel to the scope though

Telrad tape is easy to remove. Razor blade and a little bit of solvent, like alcohol or paint thinner.

Hey, while it's a "classic", do you want it to be a usable scope or a museum piece?

Rigel QuickFinder is another reflex like the Telrad. http://www.company7....qwikfinder.htmlThe detachable base has only one central screw (or tape) and a small footprint which is great for a scope that already has a optical finder.

on my c-5 I use weatherstripping foam tape (adhesive on one side) on the rails of the quikfinder base, and then zip ties around the tube over the front and back of the base. Works fine. Or, you can use big rubber bands, till you find the right place.

Zip ties are another mounting option. They can hold a Telrad base quite firmly if you can find them long enough to fit round the tube. I have used them on a 5 inch diameter tube to hold a telrad base. You can get black ones about 3/8 inch wide at Lowes.

You don't need to find zip ties long enough; just string them together: male end of #1 goes in female end of #2, etc.

That's a good Idea Tom, I never thought of that. I am thinking of putting a Telrad on my 6 inch F4.5 reflector, but don't want to mess up my powercoating with the Telrad tape so I will just string two together for each of the two bands.

I sympathize. Personally, I find the discomfort of straight-through finders too miserable to bear when sighting over 40 degrees altitude. I like right-angles. This is purely personal. Many folks have no trouble with discomfort, and much prefer what they find to be the intuitive workings of straight-throughs.

With all the good advice on how to mount a finder without scratching your tube, you needn't worry about causing any damage. As far as being inauthentic in mounting a right-angle finder, don't worry. Anything removable that works for you and keeps you comfortable is fair game. Adding a right-angle finder is something a customizer might have done back in the day anyway.

Perhaps you could find a vintage right-angle finder. I was thrilled to find a vintage, orange University Optics 8x50 right-angle finder for one of my orange C8s. The other may get a blue Meade 9x50 of the similar vintage (slightly newer), or even just a modern Orion. No way will the original 6x30 straight-through remain, other than in safekeeping for posterity. My neck says, "No!"

If you can use a straight-through briefly without discomfort, try sighting down the tube prior to sighting with the finder. With a little practice, you may be able to get the object into the finder first try nearly every time. Then, tweak it into the crosshairs, and you're done.

To answer your question this scope is not intended as a museum piece but rather the main telescope I use, so I want it to have the most practical finding devices which I think are the 50mm finder and telrad/equivalent. Now that I know that the telrad tape is removable without messing up the tube, that's definitely an oprion to consider. Someone mentioned how the holes drilled for the original finder are often cracked; thank you, I have heard this tube material gets brittle over time and can crack or break. Someone else suggested I find a vintage 50mm finder; I've seen lots of this type of vintage finder for sale before, but when I restored the scope, I repainted the tube with a slightly yellow tinge to the paint, see here:

Another trick to point the scope at a bright star that is near the object you wantt to observing and make sure the circles read the correct RA and DEC of that star the move the scope to cooridinates of the object you want to observe.